Votes of area members of Congress on key issues last...

October 20, 1985|By Congressional Quarterly

WASHINGTON — Votes of area members of Congress on key issues last week.

Senate

Senate sidesteps attempt to cut agriculture appropriations by 4 percent. The Senate, on a 66 to 28 vote Wednesday, killed an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that would have cut every program in the package by 4 percent from the amounts recommended by the Appropriations Committee.

Senate refuses to eliminate Urban Development Grant Program. The Republican-controlled Senate killed an administration-backed move to eliminate all funding for the Urban Development Action Grant program (UDAG). The amendment, which would have saved $352 million in fiscal 1986, was tabled on a 53 to 42 vote Thursday.

The UDAG program provides federal matching funds for development projects -- usually hotels, marinas, resorts, restaurants, shopping malls, trade centers and similar projects. The projects are supposed to provide jobs and sources of additional revenue for communities.

Senate rejects proposal to eliminate new public housing funds. The Senate, disregarding the long-term budget constraints it approved just a week before, failed to pass an amendment that would have eliminated $7.2 billion in public housing funds by a vote of 44 to 52 Thursday.

The Senate's proposal for additional public housing over the next decade surpassed the president's request by more than $7 billion. The amendment called for cancellation of money that would be paid out over the next 10 to 15 years for construction and rent subsidies for 100,000 new units.